"...the Prince was perhaps the worst sailing ship of war we ever had: we used to call her the Haystack. The Navy Board supposed that her bad qualities were owing to want of length, and they therefore took her into dock at Portsmouth, and cut her in two a-midships, and having drawn the parts asunder to the distance of eighteen feet, filled up the interval. But she was incurable. She went to sea with the expectation that 'nothing could come near her;' but she proved, if possible, worse than ever. Yet she was almost everlasting; for while one good ship after another wore out, or got the dry rot, the Prince remained sound, and was only sold out of the service, I believe, last year."—Edward Pelham Brenton (Life and Correspondence of John, Earl of St. Vincent, G.C.B., Admiral of the Fleet, &c. &c. &c. Volume I)

"The Prince, rated for 98 guns, is in one of the docks breaking up. She was, with other unserviceable men-of-war, put up for sale by public auction some months ago; but as sufficient money was not offered for her, the Admiralty determined to break her up, and sell, or otherwise dispose of the materials. This ship was never a favourite with any Board of Admiralty; and in the battle of Trafalgar, when commanded by Captain, afterwards Admiral, Sir Richard Grindall, she was so dull a sailer that she could not be got in to action, and consequently rendered little or no service. She had not a man killed or wounded in the engagement....The tonnage of the Prince was 2080, and the Government allowance for breaking her up is 7s. 6d. a ton; consequently about 790l. will be paid for the job. One hundred and eight men have been at work on her nearly a fortnight, and have cleared down to the lower gun deck, about half through, and it will occupy them upwards of a fortnight more before she is to pieces, and her remains cleared out of dock, and the iron and copper fastenings removed from the timber, which forms part of the duty of those employed. The timber will be stacked, and sold by public auction at the monthly sales in the Dockyard. The copper, iron, and lead will be appropriated in a different manner. The Prince was built at Woolwich in 1788, and some years ago (about the year 1796) was taken asunder and lengthened in the middle, the Admiralty of the day imagining that she would sail better: it was quite a mistaken idea, and proved so; she should have been lengthened at the bow; at all events, it never answered, for she was quite as unserviceable for sea duty after as before the alteration. The timbers put in are now the most decayed part of the ship, and come away like handfuls of snuff; others are in very good condition." (1837. Correspondence From the Principal Ports and Stations. The United Service Journal. Part III, p. 409)